Cotton picker spindle moistening apparatus



May 5, 1953 J. D. RUST COTTON PICKER SPINDLE MOISTENING APPARATUS Filed May 11, 1949 5 Sheet-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, Jbhn 17- Rush ATTORNEY.

May 5, 1953 J. D. RUST COTTON PICKER SPINDLE MOISTENING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 11, 1949 INVENTOR, Jbhn 17. Bust, BY

ATTORNEY.

J. D. RUST COTTON PI CKER SPINDLE MOISTENING APPARATUS Filed May 11, 1949 May 5, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 eservoir 3 John D. Rust ATTORN EY- Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ICE 2',637,156 COTTON PIC'KER fSPINDLE Moisii'lt'in '"G APPARATUS John 1). Rust, Memphis Ap'iflica'tion May 11, 1s49fseiis1h tint-1'2 M r-present invention relates in general to tton picking machines of the rotatin'gspindie type and more in perticelar to a cotton picker-such as shown in Rust Patents Numbers iLHMQJQS; 1910, 367; 2,0585%; and 2,533,630.

The obj eat of this invention is to provide simple ende'fheient means forappiying a suitable liquid (for example; sodium alkyl aryl sulfonete'sointion) to the cotton picking-spindles inthe form of {daemon-suds. "A surve or the 'cot't'on pie-kerart will *show that there have been two endproe'ohes "to the problem of making rotating spindles effective in wrapping up "cotton and removing it from the plant. The first approeoh was to provide the spindle With'teethwithwhich to positively catch the hilt. The other Wasto apply moistureto-a smooth surfaced spindleto eause it to 'w'rapup thelint.

This last approaoh is the one i have used from the beginning ofthe development of my Wire shindieeo'tten pik'er. However, as the patent records will show, I found by ex erience that the smooth Wire spindles became so highly polished operation that the picking effectiveness became o'onsidera bly decrease-d; Th'er'foi'e, repent a great deal or time and effort developing means for treating and maintaining a slightly Toughened surface on the spindles in order to increase their effectiveness for picking the open cotton.

During theiest few years a. great deal of progress has been made in the development of wetting agents for reducing'the surface tension of Water. Iheveexperimented "with'many kinds of Wetting agents and have found that some of them, when ro er-1y applied to the smooth Wire spindle, inereeseconsiderabiy their pioking efficiency. But during a resent pioliingsea'son'l discovered th'et syn-sing" an agent (for example, sodium aikyl aryl snifonate solution) that would foam' and make suds or lather when agitated, and applying the moisture to the spindles in the form of suds, the picking e'fiiciency of the smooth spindle has been raised to e highly satisfactory degree. So fares I know, I am the first to make this discovery.

I proposetwo basic methods for creating and applying suds to the cotton picker spindles. First, I use mechanism snbstantiaily the sameas Shown in myepplieation Serial No. 737,702, filed March 27, 1947, now Petent'2,525,184, except that I add the improvement of oscillating means for egiteting the sponge to create a foam or s'uds which in turnis applied to the spindles by the rotating moistener hands. Second, I propose a rotary means for simultaneously creating the suds and depositing it downwardly onto the spindles with stat enary means for Q wiping *s'uds ri-em the spmdies. This rotary To he attainment of the aforesaid objects and eees invennon further teside's in the-novel method and apparatus hereinafter desoribedend illustreated ih tlfie secomp'anyinjg -d1"aWings in which:

-1 'aj'top nlan'view' or a' ieo rtio'n of a, cotton piekin umt'Withoneefnieodiment of thy present investienepp11eo; herbs being hrok'en sway tm'd se er: sees removes.

Fig-52 1's emer ed thespian view-snowing the spongeholdei shovih ifi Fi'gfl in the squeezed position. I i

Fig. view-sinner to Fi'g. 2'bi'1t showing the sponge holde-iw'and sio'ofige in the released position.

Fig. "4 is a vien simi1ar to Fig. 1 showing a modifio'ation or the ihven-tion.

Fig. 5 "is detailed elev'fltionil View, on an emerged soetle, lookihg 'lin'the direction of the she set a portion of the spindle Wiper, the A "p; dies-be in section.

sis-ease seenenome line t -s or me. 5.

F-igf'l is e, detail elev-itibh of the roam producer.

Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of the sponge holder, intone-deserts enetheineens for feedin suds forming liquid 'totheholdi, the 'position'of the moist-'e- 2 b'e'ii shOWh-ihdot and dash lines. atio iewesrn in elevation andpartly' in on tio'al section, showing a modimatron.

Ref'r' rihg lr' ibtv fiertiehlarly'to the first embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3 and 8 inclusive or "the drawings, itwill 'be seen that I designates the main fr-sine of the picker unit, 2 "the foss' beems ans-"3, 4; 5 was the chain guides "of the sbihdle si'at eonv'eyer chains 2| e't'oh of which "takes-around *a. drive sprocket I to whose i-ile 82th "e'e'ritrio pin o'rfyihg disc 9 is secured.

Pivotd zit l 'to a fra ine bar 5 is a lever In, one end of which is edifited to normally rest against axis 8 and he engaged, once in each revolution of-th'e by said pm to rock the lever.

The lever ll? is confieottl by a roe I3 to an arm [2 thet'is secured to a, tubular support I5 for thessonse carrier 16, H, It, at. The sup ort; is :ipiv'o'tetlly" msuetee on a rod M suitabl supported by the freine 1-.

. sponge terrier ineiudes "a vertically disposed angle plate Hi to which is hinged on a rod I! a shorter angle plate 18 between which and plate It is a sponge 20. The plates [6, I8 are held to clamp an edge of the sponge between them by means of spring clips I9. One end of each clip is welded to the plate 16 while the other end of the clip engages the plate [8 to push it in a clockwise direction in Figs. 2 and 3. The construction of the sponge holder is substantially the same as that shown in my application aforesaid and the sponge used is preferably an artificial sponge (sponge rubber) and bears against the rotary spindle moistener 22.

The moistener 22 is in part supported by rollers 24 carried on angles 23 secured to an angle bar 25 fixed to the frame I of the picker unit, and in part by the sponge 2i! and its holder and in part by the spindles 26 as they pass through between the rings of the moistener.

The moistener 22 is of known construction (see my application aforesaid and also Patent No. 2,023,491 issued December 10, 1935) and no claim thereto per se is made in this application.

As shaft 8 turns it will, once in each revolution, rock lever ill which in turn will pull arm I2 via connecting rod l3 and thereby squeeze sponge 253 against the moistener.

The frame or suds forming liquid hereinbefore referred to is deposited on the sponge 20 in the usual way. The alternate squeezing and releasing of the sponge causes such fluid to foam so that the liquid is applied to the moistener in the form of a foam or suds and carried by the moistener in that form to the spindles.

Another embodiment; of my invention is illustrated in Figs. 4 to '7 inclusive by reference to which it will be seen that I have provided a high speed rotary beater consisting of a receptacle 2? into which the fluid is placed via an inlet 44 and beaten into a foam or suds by means of a rotatable agitator 25 before it is deposited over the spindles via an outlet spout 28. The agitator 29 is driven from shaft 8 via a speed increasing drive consisting of pulley 3t, belt 35, pulley 33 on a shaft 3!, a second pulley 32 on shaft 3|, belt 36, to pulley 39 on the shaft 29 of the rotary agitator,

In Figs. 9 and 10 I have disclosed a slight modification of the beater shown in Fig. '7 and have shown a means to supply foam producing liquid to the same in measured or regulated quantities. In these figures 21 is the casing, 21' its cover, 21 and 21 bearings for the beater shaft 29 which has the pulley 30 28 the suds discharge spout and 45 the beater blade. The casing 2'! is provided with bafile bars as tapped for the cover screws 2T Fluid to be foamed or made into suds is led from a container 41 to the regulator valve casing 2! by a tube 44 that discharges about the level of the beater blades into casing 27 The container i! has a screen 49 located above its outlet, on which screen is a sponge 4B. Fluid from a reservoir 58 is conducted, via a tube 51, to a regulator valve casing 56 where it passes through an elastic sponge 5S and out of a discharge open.

ing 52, over a lip 53 into container 41. The density of the sponge (rubber) 56 is adjusted by means of a regulating screw 54 and piston 55.

The regulator valve, etc. is preferably located on the machine at a place convenient for observation and adjustment by the operator.

The desired rate of flow can be maintained indefinitely once the valve has been adjusted, because the accumulation of small particles of foreign matter on the sponge does not perceptibly offset the flow. By makin the cup or casing 50 of transparent material the operator may at all times be able to observe the flow of liquid.

The beater discharges or drops the foam or suds onto the spindles in advance of a wiper device consisting of a vertical support 31 on which is a series of channel plates 38, one flange 39 of each of which is Welded or bolted to the support 31 and the other flange 40 carries a rubber wiper strip 4|, the strip 4! being held replaceably to the flange 40 by means of a clamp plate t2 and bolts and nuts 43, see Figs. 5 and 6. The spindles 26 are drawn between adjacent strips 4| and excess foam is thereby wiped from the spindles.

The foam or suds as it is forced from the beater through spout 28 flows onto the spindles by gravity.

In each instance the foam or suds is applied to the spindles before they enter the cotton on the cotton plants.

The spindle slats 59 and tracks 60 are of known construction (see Patent No. 2,440,450 issued April 27, 1948) and per se are not a part of the present invention.

This application is continuation in part of my application filed January 12, 1948, Serial No. 1,707 now abandoned.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention will readily appear to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a cotton picking unit having an endless conveyor with a plurality of spindle carrying slats thereon, means carried by said unit for driving said conveyor, means carried by said unit for applying a liquid in the form of suds or foam to the spindles including a receptacle, an agitator positioned in said receptacle, a tube communicating with said receptacle for delivering a liquid capable of producing foam or suds, driving mechanism connecting said agitator with said driving means and an outlet spout provided on said receptacle for delivering suds or foam to said spindles.

2. In a cotton picking unit having an endless conveyor with a plurality of spindle carrying slats thereon, means carried by said unit for driving said conveyor, means carried by said unit for applying a liquid in the form of suds or foam to the spindles including a receptacle, an agitator positioned in said receptacle, a tube communicating with said receptacle for delivering a liquid capable of producing foam or suds, driving mechanism connecting said agitator with said driving means, an outlet spout provided on said receptacle for delivering suds or foam to said spindles and means carried by said unit positioned in the path of the spindles to wipe excess foam or suds therefrom prior to the spindles engagement with the cotton.

3. In a cotton picking unit having an endless conveyor with a plurality of spindle carrying slats thereon, a drive shaft with a sprocket thereon engaging said conveyor, means carried by said unit for applying a liquid in the form of suds or foam to the spindles including a receptacle, a tube communicating with said receptacle for delivering a liquid capable of producing foam or suds, an agitator positioned in said receptacle, a pulley secured to the shaft of said agitator, an outlet spout provided on said receptacle for diresting the foam or suds onto said spindles and driving mechanism connecting said pulley with said drive shaft for rotating said agitator for delivering suds or foam through said outlet spout.

4. In a cotton picking unit having an endless conveyor with a plurality of spindle carrying slats thereon, means carried by said unit for driving said conveyor, means carried by said unit for applying a liquid in the form of suds or foam to the spindles including a receptacle, an agitator positioned in said receptacle, a liquid reservoir positioned immediately above said unit, a tube connecting said reservoir with said receptacle for delivering a liquid capable of producing foam or suds, a fluid regulator interposed in said tube for metering the flow of liquid to said receptacle, an outlet spout provided on said receptacle for directing the foam or suds onto said spindles and driving mechanism connecting said agitator with said driving means for rotating said agitator to deliver suds or foam through said outlet spent.

5. In a cotton picking unit having an endless conveyor with a plurality of spindle carrying slats thereon, means carried by said unit for driving said conveyor, means carried by said unit for applying a liquid in the form of suds or foam to the spindles including a receptacle, an agitator positioned in said receptacle, a liquid reservoir positioned immediately above said unit, a tube connecting said reservoir with said receptacle for delivering a liquid capable of producing foam or suds, a fluid regulator interposed in said tube for metering the flow of liquid to said receptacle, an outlet spout provided on said receptacle for directing the foam or suds onto said spindles, driving mechanism connecting said agitator with said driving means for rotating said agitator to deliver suds or foam through said outlet spout and resilient means carried by said unit positioned in the path of said spindles to wipe excess foam or suds therefrom prior to spindles engagin the cotton.

6. In a cotton picking unit having an endless conveyor with a plurality of spindle carrying slats thereon, means carried by said unit for driving said conveyor, means carried by said unit for applying a liquid in the form of suds or foam to the spindles including a receptacle, an agitator positioned in said receptacle, a liquid reservoir positioned immediately above said unit, a tube oonnecied to said reservoir, a metering valve secured to the free end of said tube, a container associated with said metering valve, a tube connecting said container with said receptacle for delivering a liquid capable of producing foam or suos, an outlet spout provided on said receptacle for directing the foam or suds onto said spindles and driving mechanism connecting said agitator with said driving means for rotating said agitator to deliver suds or foam through said outlet spout.

JOHN D. RUST.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,742,493 Berry Jan. 7, 1930 1,938,264 Templeton Dec. 5, 1933 1,946,741 Hamme Feb. 13, 1934 1,982,884 Schroder et al. Dec. 4, 1934 2,023,491 Rust et al. Dec, 10, 1935 2,482,557 Rust Sept. 20, 1949 

